Global coronavirus cases exceed 1 million

Over 51,000 dead

A special intake tent at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York City [Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP]

More than a million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University - another grim milestone as the world grapples with the spreading pandemic.

More than 51,000 people have died and more than 208,000 have recovered, according to the university's figures.

The US accounts for the most cases; Italy the highest death toll.

The disease, Covid-19, first emerged in central China three months ago.

Though the tally kept by Johns Hopkins records one million confirmed cases, the actual number is thought to be much higher.

It took a month and a half for the first 100,000 cases to be registered. A million was reached after a doubling in cases over the past week.

Nearly a quarter of cases have been registered in the United States, while Europe accounts for around half.

What's the latest?

On Thursday, Spain said 950 people had died in the previous 24 hours - thought to be the highest number of deaths of any country in one day.

The number of confirmed Spanish cases rose from 102,136 on Wednesday to 110,238 - an 8% rise that is similar to the rate recorded in previous days. Authorities believe the virus is now peaking and say they expect to see a drop in figures in the days ahead.

"We continue with an increase of around 8%. This points, as we have already seen, to a stabilisation in the data that we're registering," María José Sierra, from the Spanish health ministry's emergency co-ordination unit, said at a news conference.

Spain, the second-worst hit nation in terms of deaths, has also lost nearly 900,000 jobs.

The US on Thursday said it saw a record 6.6 million new unemployment benefit claims.